March 24, 2012
NEWARK, N.J. - Behind another strong performance from redshirt senior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) the Nittany Lions earned a 3-0 (25-9, 25-20, 25-23) win at Rutgers-Newark on Saturday evening. Penn State is now 16-3 overall and 8-0 in the EIVA.
Sunder led the Lions with 11 kills on .474 hitting, while junior Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.) posted seven kills on eight swings with one error for a .750 hitting percentage. Turko also posted four aces. Redshirt senior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) paced the offense with 27 assists and had a match-high eight digs. Turko led the team in blocks with four, while Sunder tallied three.
Penn State registered a .397 hitting percentage and totaled 38 kills, seven aces, 26 digs and 9.5 total team blocks. The Nittany Lions held the Scarlet Raiders (8-10, 1-7 EIVA) to .101 hitting with 28 kills, seven aces, 20 digs and 4.0 team blocks.
The Nittany Lions wasted no time in the first set taking control with a 10-4 lead and allowing the Scarlet Raiders only nine points total. Trailing by six, Rutgers-Newark scored the next two points before allowing Penn State to take off on a 9-0 run for a 23-7 advantage. Austin Pappas cut off the run with a kill for Rutgers-Newark, but a service error by the Scarlet Raiders had PSU at set point, 24-8. Marcin Midura tallied one final point for RNU before a final service error gave Penn State a 25-9 win.
The second frame started out close but Penn State capitalized on some early Rutgers-Newark errors for a 9-6 lead. However, midway through the stanza, the score was knotted at 13-13 before a Midura kill moved the Scarlet Raiders into the lead, 14-13. Thanks to three Rutgers-Newark errors and kills from Sunder and Comfort, Penn State moved back on top, 18-15. Following a Rutgers-Newark timeout, Penn State never gave up the lead. Service errors plagued the Scarlet Raiders and two Penn State kills had the Lions leading, 23-20 when RNU called one final timeout. Another Scarlet Raider error and an Olsen kill closed out set two for the Nittany Lions, 25-20.
It was the Scarlet Raiders who took the lead early on in set three, 6-3. The Nittany Lions trailed until knotting the score at 13-13. However, a 3-0 RNU run had the Scarlet Raiders leading, 16-13, and Penn State calling a timeout. Thanks to a 7-2 Nittany Lion run, Penn State moved in front, 20-18. Rutgers-Newark called a timeout and used a kill to come within one, 20-19, but kills from sophomore Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and junior Tom Comfort (Orchard Park, N.Y) had the Lions ahead by three, 23-20. After a second Scarlet Raider timeout, a RNU error had the Lions at set point, 24-20. The Scarlet Raiders held Penn State for three straight points before a Comfort kill secured set three for PSU, 25-23.
Penn State is back in action on March 30-31 when the Nittany Lions visit Princeton and George Mason, respectively. Both matches are set for 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions return home after their seven-match road trip on April 6-7 when they host Sacred Heart and Harvard at Rec Hall.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State men's volleyball 2012 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets.
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